ENERGY

DIAGRAMS
AND CENTER
OF MASS
Learning objectives:

1. Define neutral, stable and

unstable equilibrium; and
2. Use potential energy diagrams to
infer force; stable, unstable and
neutral equilibrium.
What is equilibrium?
When all the forces that act
upon an object are balanced,
then the object is said to be
in equilibrium.
 Types of Equilibrium

Neutral Stable
01 02
Equilibrium Equilibrium

Unstable
03
Equilibrium
 Neutral Equilibrium

When the gravitational potential

energy of a certain object
remains constant regardless of
position.
 Neutral Equilibrium

The graph would be a

horizontal line because the
gravitational potential energy is
constant.
 Stable equilibrium
The gravitational potential
energy increases as its position
moves away from the
equilibrium position.
 Stable equilibrium
The center of mass of the
bottle goes up as the position
goes away from the
equilibrium position.
 Stable equilibrium
The water bottle naturally
returns to its equilibrium
position when it loses
gravitational potential energy.
Unstable equilibrium
The gravitational potential
energy decreases as its position
moves away from equilibrium
position.
Unstable equilibrium
The center of mass goes down
as the position goes away from
the equilibrium.
Unstable equilibrium
The marker naturally moves
away from the equilibrium
position when it loses
gravitational potential energy.
Work-Energy
Theorem and
Kinetic Energy
 Suppose an object with mass m is
thrown to a distance d with velocities
vi and vf. When the ball is thrown, a
net Force, Fnet, is exerted causing it to
move to a distance d. The object’s
velocity changes and results to the
object’s acceleration.
Another quantity that is closely
related to work and energy is
Power. Power is defined as the
rate of doing work.
Mathematically, P = Wk/t. The
SI unit for power is Watts (W)
Sample problems:

1
Determine the kinetic energy of
a 625 kilograms roller coaster
car that is moving with a speed
of 18.3 m/s.
Sample problems:

2 A pitcher hurls a 0.25 kilograms

softball. The ball starts from rest and
leaves the pitcher’s hand at a speed of
25 m/s. How much work is done on the
softball by the hurler’s arm?
Sample problems:

3 Jean climbs a flight of stairs in 1.5

minutes. If she weighs 450 N and the
stairs is 10 meters from the ground,
how much power will she develop?
Performance Tasks
Activity 1: Locate the Points!
List the position(s) where stable,
unstable and neutral equilibrium
can be observed.
Question:
What are your basis in determining
stable, unstable and neutral
equilibrium?
Activity 2: Time to recharge
Solve the following word problems on work, energy
and power.

1. A 0.5 kilogram object starts from rest and free

falls towards the ground at 3 m/s. After it has fallen
from a height of 8 meters, what is its potential
energy? And its kinetic energy?
2. Bart runs up a 2.91 meters high flight of stairs at a
constant speed in 2.15 seconds. If Bart’s mass is
65.9 kilograms, determine the work which he did
and his power rating.

3. A boy whose mass if 45 kilograms runs up a 25-

steps staircase in 50 seconds. Each step is 30 cm
high. Find the power expended by the boy.
Center of Mass
and Center of
Gravity
Consider that the box below has a mass of 100 kilograms and the
washing machine is 20 kilograms. Locate the single point in the
objects where the mass is concentrated.
 The center of mass is the
point in an object where the
object’s mass acts or is
concentrated.
Center of Mass of Homogeneous Objects
The center of mass of homogeneous
objects (objects with the same
composition) is its geometric center.
The center of mass is within the
object.
The center of mass of some objects
like the ring or donut is found
outside the object.
 The center of gravity is the point
where the whole weight appears or
is concentrated. For homogeneous
objects, the center of mass is the
same as its center of gravity.
The center of mass and the center of
gravity acts on the same point when
the gravitational field is uniform (at
the Earth’s surface).
In non-uniform gravitational field,
the center of mass and center of
gravity do not appear on the same
point.
 The center of mass of several
objects can be calculated using the
formula

x = Ʃ mx
Ʃm
Sample problem 1: Three point masses are
attached to a massless rigid rod. Mass m1 is 2
kilograms located at x=1 m, mass m2 is 1
kilogram at x=2 m and mass m3 is 0.5 kilograms
at x=2.5 meters. Find the center of mass of the
system.
Sample problem 2: A metallic sphere of mass 1
kilogram and radius of 5 centimeters is welded
to the end B of a thin rod AB of length 50
centimeters and mass of 0.50 kilograms. This
rod with the sphere will balance horizontally on
a knife edge placed at distance x from the end A
of the rod if x is equal to ____.
Sample problem 3:

Two objects of masses 6 and 8 kilograms are

hung from the ends of the stick that is 70
centimeters long and has marks every 10
centimeters. If the mass of the stick is
negligible, at which of the points should a
cord be attached if the stick is to remain
horizontal when suspended?
Sample problem 4:

Two point masses, 3 kilograms and 5

kilograms, are 4 meters and 8 meters from the
origin on an x-axis. Locate the center of mass
of the two point masses from the origin and
from the 3 kilograms mass.